Device for connecting a wiper arm to a wiper blade, a wiper blade and a wiper arm

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a device to connect a wiper arm ( 10 ) to a wiper blade ( 12 ) featuring a supporting element ( 16 ) on which a connecting element ( 14 ) for the wiper arm ( 10 ) is attached, which features at least two holding means ( 30, 32 ) for the counter holding means ( 34, 36 ) connected to the wiper arm ( 10 ). It is proposed that a base part ( 38 ) be attached between the connecting element ( 14 ) and the supporting element ( 16 ), which is firmly connected to the supporting element ( 16 ) and connected with the connecting element ( 14 ) so that it can rotate.

STATE OF THE ART

[0001] The invention relates to a device to connect a wiper arm to awiper blade according to the species of the independent claim 1 as wellas wiper blade containing one part of the device on the wiper-blade sideand a wiper arm containing one part of the device on the wiper-arm side.With this type of known device (DE 199 52 054) the wiper blade featuresa supporting element on which a connecting element for a wiper arm isattached. The connecting element is a plastic part, which rests on thesupporting element with a first side and has guideways that lead fromthe side opposite from the supporting element into the body of theconnecting element. A first guideway leads from the upper side of theconnecting element into the body in order to reach an axis receptaclefrom there in a curve. There is a narrowing between the curve and theaxis receptacle so that an axis fastened to the wiper arm that isintroduced into the guide channel locks into the axis receptacle via aresistance of the narrow location. The second guide channel leads out ofthe upper side into a curve whose mid-point in the axis receptacle liesin the plastic part. As a result, after the first axis of the wiper armis inserted and catches, the second axis is also inserted by rotatingthe wiper arm or the wiper blade relative to the wiper arm.

[0002] With this system, the axis receptacle operates in connection withthe axis of the wiper arm as an articulated connection between the wiperarm and the wiper blade so that during wiper operation the wiper bladecan twist relative to the wiper arm and thereby the axis relative to theaxis receptacle. This strains the plastic body and particularly thenarrow location in the guide channel via which the wiper blade is lockedonto the wiper arm.

ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The device, in accordance with the invention with the features ofthe main claim, has the advantage that the functions—holding the wiperarm and providing a swivel joint between the wiper arm and wiperblade—are separated. Despite this, the wiper arm and wiper blade can besafely connected to one another by a simple insertion and locking. Thebase part is already permanently applied during wiper blademanufacturing and assumes an additional holding function there betweenthe supporting element and a wiper strip of the wiper blade. Theconnecting element can be connected with the supporting part so that itcan rotate and the wiper blade that has been prepared in this manner canbe firmly connected with the wiper arm.

[0004] Advantageous further developments of the device according to themain claim are possible due to the features listed in the sub-claims.Thus, due to the connecting piece's U-shaped design, the base part canbe accommodated so that it saves space, whereby the connecting piece'sU-legs can simultaneously be used as guide surfaces first for the basepart and secondly for the wiper arm.

[0005] If at least one or both holding means are embodied as one or moreguideways extending through the U-base into the U-legs, defined holdingpositions are produced, which can be achieved by the simple (becauseguided) fitting of one into the other. If the guideways are embodieddifferently, it prevents the wiper blade from being mounted incorrectly,relative to the wiper arm.

[0006] In an advantageous further development, first articulation meansare attached to the U-legs which cooperate with the second articulationmeans attached to base part. In this way, first the overlapping part ofthe connecting element and the base part are utilized in a space savingmanner for the formation of the articulation and, secondly, the rotationaround the articulation means is guided with a low amount of play due tothe flat design of the U-legs that are adjacent to the base part.Fabricating the connecting element of the plastic prevents the metalparts of the wiper blade from coming into direct contact with the metalparts of the wiper arm so that clattering noise or corrosion from metalrubbing against metal is already avoided at the outset.

[0007] There is a simple assembly possibility if at least one of theholding means features a locking device in which at least one counterholding means can be engaged so that it locks. These holding means aredesigned to be particularly secure if the locking device is designed sothat it can be locked independently but unlocked again only manually.This makes it possible to quickly mount the wiper blade on the wiperarm, whereby inadvertent disassembly and therefore possible criticalsituations during operation of the wiper device are avoided.

[0008] The locking device is particularly simple to operate if it isconnected with a lever arm overlapping the supporting element. The leverarm can then be guided until it is under the wiper arm and operated fromthere. Another development provides for the locking device to feature alever arm corresponding to an opening in the wiper arm. The lever isthen operated in a particularly simple way via the opening on the wiperarm.

DRAWINGS

[0009] Two exemplary embodiments of the device in accordance with theinvention are depicted in the drawings and explained in more detail inthe following description. The drawings show:

[0010]FIG. 1 A device in accordance with the invention according to thefirst exemplary embodiment in an exploded view,

[0011]FIG. 2 The connecting element of the first exemplary embodiment inaccordance with FIG. 1 in a diagonal view from below,

[0012]FIG. 3 A section that is not true to scale through the connectingelement of the first exemplary embodiment along line III-III,

[0013]FIG. 4 A device according to the second exemplary embodiment in anexploded view and,

[0014]FIG. 5 A connecting element of the device according to the secondexemplary embodiment in a diagonal view from below.

DESCRIPTION

[0015]FIG. 1 depicts a device in accordance with the invention accordingto the first exemplary embodiment with wiper arm 10, and wiper arm 12 aswell as connecting element 14. Wiper blade 12 features supportingelement 16, which is inserted in the form of two separate strips, 18,into the longitudinal grooves of head strip 20 of wiper strip 22. Wiperwedge 26 featuring wiper lip 24 is adjacent to head strip 20 and isconnected to head strip 20 via rocker bridge 28.

[0016] Though wiper blade 12 is depicted in an extended form, itfeatures a curvature in a relaxed state such that wiper strip 22 runs inthe concave area and head strip 20 in the convex area of the curvature.The curvature itself is stronger than the strongest window curvature sothat when wiper arm 10 presses on wiper blade 12, wiper lip 24 isadjacent over its entire length to the window, with essentially uniformdistribution of pressure.

[0017] Connecting element 14, attached between wiper blade 12 and wiperarm 10, features holding means 30 and 32 that cooperate with the wiperarm 10's counter holding means, 34 and 36.

[0018] Attached between connecting element 14 and supporting element 16is base part 38, which is firmly connected with supporting element 16and connected to connecting element 14 so that it can rotate. To thisend, base part 38 features claws 40, which firmly surround supportingelement 16 or its strips, 18, with a form fit. The strips 18 are therebyfixed in their respective longitudinal grooves in head strip 20. Animprovement of this bond is achieved if base part 38 is welded orsoldered to supporting element 16. This measure can also be used inaddition to the claws 40 or independent thereof.

[0019] Extending between the claws 40, of which preferably four arepresent, is base body 42, and the two side walls, 44, are bent away fromthis in a curved form. The side walls 44 run along the longitudinalsides of the strips 18 and thereby offer an additional hold. In a centerarea, each side wall 44 features an opening, 46, both of which serve asarticulation means 48.

[0020] Connecting element 14 is of a U-shaped design with a U-base, 50,and two U-legs, 52, extending out from U-base 50. In the assemblyposition, connecting element 14's U-base 50 and U-legs 52 overlap withbase part 38. In this way, the insides of U-legs 52 are adjacent to ormore or less play to the outside side walls 44 of base part 38.

[0021] Articulation means 54 are attached to the insides of U-legs 52,which have the shape of the two pins 51, projecting inwards, whose edgespointing away from the U-base are beveled. In the assembly position, thepins 51 serve as the first articulation means, 54, which cooperate withthe openings 46 as second articulation means, 48.

[0022] There is a guideway, 56 (FIG. 3), in connecting element 14, whichextends from U-base 50 into U-leg 52 and from there leads into curve 58and end receptacle 60. Another guideway, 62, is also provided, whichextends from front side 64 into the respective U-leg, 52. In theassembly position with wiper arm 10, these guideways, 56 and 62, serveas holding means 30 and 32, which cooperate with axes 64 and 66 that arealigned parallel to one another and fastened in the wiper arm, which fortheir part functions as counter holding means 34 and 36.

[0023] When assembling the device in accordance with the invention, ifbase part 38 is already firmly fastened on supporting element 16,connecting element 14 is slipped over base part 38, whereby U-legs 52deflect laterally somewhat as soon as bevels 55 of the pins 51 makecontact with side walls 44 of the base part. With additional pressing,the pins 51 lock into the openings 46 in such a way that a rotatablefastening is created between connecting element 14 and base part 38.Then, wiper blade 12, prepared in this manner, is guided onto wiper arm10 so that axis 68 is guided along front side 64 up to guideway 62 andaxis 66 is guided through guideway 56 up to curve 58. Wiper blade 12 isthen moved along the longitudinal extension of the wiper blade or wiperarm 10 so that axis 64 moves in the direction of end receptacle 60 andcomes to rest there.

[0024] End receptacle 60 is overlapped by notch lever 70 whose notchnose, 72, represents a narrowing of guideway 56. Notch lever 70 isfastened on springy swivel joint 74 on the inside of U-legs 52. Thisswivel joint, 74, for example, can be a plastic connection between notchlever 70 and U-leg 52, or a type of film hinge between notch lever 70and U-base 50. On the side of notch lever 70, opposite from notch nose72, with respect to swivel joint 74, notch lever 70 spreads into the twoarms, 76, leading outwards that terminate in two collars 78.

[0025] When assembling the device, if axis 66 is guided in the directionof end receptacle 60, notch nose 72 is deflected and swings back as soonas axis 66 has reached its end position in end receptacle 60. The wiperarm is thus firmly locked into connecting element 14. For thedisassembly process, collars 78 that project laterally below wiper arm10 must be pressed down so that notch nose 72 releases end receptacle 60and the axis can be guided out along curve 58 and guideway 56. Thelocking device can therefore be locked independently and unlockedmanually. This means that the locking device locks independently duringassembly, but must be unlocked by hand for disassembly. For thispurpose, the locking device features at least one, but in the case athand, the two lever arms 76 overlapping supporting element 16, which canbe actuated from the outside.

[0026] In the second exemplary embodiment (FIGS. 4 and 5) the same partsare provided with the same with the same reference numbers. Also in thiscase, base part 38 overlaps with supporting element 16, therebyguaranteeing a hold between wiper strip 22 and supporting element 16.There are openings, 46, on base part 38, which cooperate with pins 53 ofconnecting element 14.

[0027] In contrast to the first exemplary embodiment, connecting element14 features only one guideway, 56, which, however, does not have alocking device on its end receptacle, 60. Notch lever 80, dischargingfrom front side 64 and featuring collar 82 on its free end, serves as alocking device. In the assembly position, collar 82 corresponds toopening 84 in wiper arm 10. In addition, wiper arm 10 features opposingprojections 86 (only one is depicted in FIG. 4) on its inner sides,which are there as counter holding means 34 and 36 with correspondingrecesses 88 in front side 64 of connecting element 14.

[0028] During assembly, after connecting element 14 has been locked ontobase part 38 in a known manner, wiper blade 12, that had been puttogether in this way, is guided onto the wiper arm from below in such away that axis 64 can be inserted into guideway 56 and projections 86 canbe passed along front side 64. If projections 86 reach recesses 88, aswell as if axis 66 reaches curve 58, the wiper blade will be moved alongthe longitudinal extension of wiper blade 12 so that axis 66 engages inend receptacle 60 and the projections 86 engage in the recesses 88. Inthis case, the recesses 88 function as guideways for the projections 86.Collar 82 then locks into opening 84 and prevents wiper blade 12 fromspontaneously unlocking again. Unlocking takes place manually byapplying pressure to collar 82, which is projected through opening 84.

[0029] Wiper blade 12, which has been adapted for the device inaccordance with the invention, is consequently identified, in thatsupporting element 16 is firmly surrounded by base part 38 and that basepart 38 can be connected in an articulated manner with a connectingelement.

[0030] Wiper arm 10, which has been adapted for the device in accordancewith the invention, is identified in that at least two holding means areembodied either in the form two axes or one or more projections withinthe wiper arm so that it can be engaged so that it locks with aconnecting element.

1. Device to connect a wiper arm (10) to a wiper blade (12) featuring asupporting element (16) on which a connecting element (14) for the wiperarm (12) is attached, which features at least two holding means (30, 32)for counter holding means (34, 36) connected to the wiper arm (10),characterized in that a base part (38) is attached between theconnecting element (14) and the supporting element (16), which is firmlyconnected to the supporting element (16) and connected to the connectingelement (14) so that it can rotate.
 2. Device according to claim 1,characterized in that the connecting element (14) is U-shaped with aU-base (50) and two U-legs (52) and accepts the base part (38). 3.Device according to claim 2, characterized in that at least one holdingmeans (30, 32) features a guideway (56, 62) extending through the U-base(50) into the U-legs (52).
 4. Device according to one of claims 2 or 3,characterized in that the first articulation means (54) are attached tothe U-legs (52) which cooperate with the second articulation means (48)attached to the base part (38).
 5. Device according to one of thepreceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the holdingmeans (30) features a locking device (71) in which at least one counterholding means (34) can be engaged so that it locks.
 6. Device accordingto claim 5, characterized in that the locking device (71) can be lockedindependently and unlocked manually.
 7. Device according to one of theclaims 5 or 6, characterized in that the locking device (71) isconnected with at least one lever arm, 76, overlapping supportingelement
 16. 8. Device according to one of the claims 5 or 6,characterized in that the locking device (71) features a lever arm (80)corresponding to an opening (84) in the wiper arm (10).
 9. Wiper bladecontaining one part of a device according to one of claims 1 through 8on the wiper-blade side.
 10. Wiper arm containing one part of a deviceaccording to one of claims 1 through 8 on the wiper-arm side.